Home Office

Police: Hong Kong

lord goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was their response to the representations made by the Royal Hong Kong Police Association in its letter of 25 July to the Home Secretary.

baroness williams of trafford: The letter of 25th July has been responded to. However, a response to further representations from the Hong Kong Police Association is being drafted and will be released in due course.

Cabinet Office

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Advertising

baroness smith of basildon: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they and their agencies spent on commercial advertising on (1) TV, and (2) radio, in each year since 2009, broken down by region.

lord young of cookham: The Government only holds this information from 2011. The majority of spend is conducted on a network (national) basis and splitting this spend by region is not possible. YearTVRadio2011£33,379,859£9,186,9542012£48,351,924£15,243,6732013£39,254,363£17,577,1552014£32,729,643£14,308,6212015£51,729,850£18,884,8972016£48,669,686£11,927,962

Department for Education: Ministers

lord foulkes of cumnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they carry out due diligence into the commercial activities in the education sector of prospective ministerial appointments in the Department for Education before making such appointments.

lord young of cookham: On appointment to each new office, Ministers provide a list of all relevant interests to their Permanent Secretary, which are considered by the Cabinet Office, and the Prime Minister’s Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests.

Policy Exchange

lord foulkes of cumnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have given any financial, organisational or other support to the Policy Exchange in the last five years; and if so, whatwas the source ofthat support.

lord young of cookham: The Department is not aware of having given any financial, organisational or other support to the Policy Exchange in the last five years.

Electronic Warfare

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they regard cyber warfare as a Tier One threat to national security; whether they are considering the creation of a new international Bletchley Park to counter that threat; and whether they are providing resources to develop machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence to counter that threat.

lord young of cookham: The 2015 National Security Strategy identifies cyber security as a tier one threat to the UK’s national security. To counter this threat the Government published the National Cyber Security Strategy 2016-2021 supported by £1.9billion of transformational investment. As part of the implementation of the strategy, a new National Cyber Security Centre was launched in 2016 to provide a central body for cyber security at a national level. In order to keep our cyber defences effective, the Government provides resources for research and development of technical and other measures, but it would not be appropriate to comment on specific technologies.

Department for Education

Agriculture: Education

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to expand the provision of courses in organic and agroecological practices in agricultural colleges and other appropriate institutions.

lord agnew of oulton: The Government is not responsible for deciding which courses further education institutions deliver. This is the responsibility of the institutions themselves who will take account of Government priorities as well as skills demands identified by local stakeholders and employers. As part of our reforms to technical education, we are establishing a common framework of 15 technical education routes that encompass all employment-based and college-based training. The implementation of the routes will be phased, and the Agriculture, Environment and Animal Care route will be rolled out in September 2022. Within the routes will sit new T level qualifications. As with all the routes, the content of T levels within the Agriculture, Environment and Animal Care route will be determined by advisory groups of employers, professionals and practitioners. On 11 October the government published a T level Action Plan, which set out progress on the technical education reforms. Later this year, the Government will hold a public consultation on the new T level qualifications.

Overseas Students: Fees and Charges

baroness wolf of dulwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the governing provisions in EU law that require universities to charge EU students the same as UK students.

baroness wolf of dulwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether universities are legally able to charge different fees to students domiciled in different non-EU countries.

baroness wolf of dulwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there areany limitations on the fees that can be charged by universities to undergraduate students domiciled in EEA countries that are not members of the EU.

the earl of courtown: Various provisions of EU law underpin fees legislation on higher education, including: Article 18 of the Treaty of the Functioning of the EU (TFEU), prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of nationality; Article 21 of the TFEU, covering the right to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States; Article 45 of the TFEU, covering freedom of movement for workers within the Union and prohibiting discrimination based on nationality between workers of the member states; the Free Movement Directive 2004/38/EC and Regulation 492/2011.Legislation enables universities to charge students, without a specified connection with the UK, fees at a higher level than eligible students with such a connection to the UK. This differential fee charging is not unlawful discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. The Equality Act prevents universities from discriminating, including when charging fees, on the basis of protected characteristics including nationality, except where the discrimination is permitted by other legislation.In order to qualify for home fee status and be eligible for tuition fee caps, students must have a specified connection with the UK. Eligible European Economic Area migrant workers, self-employed persons, frontier workers and frontier self-employed persons and their eligible family members who meet the residency criteria may benefit from capped fees and home fee status.

Ministry of Justice

MTCnovo

lord laming: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many offenders have failed to keep appointments with probation officers employed by MTC Novo.

lord keen of elie: The table below displays the number of offenders managed by an MTC Novo Provider (London Community Rehabilitation Company and Thames Valley Community Rehabilitation Company) with an absence recorded on nDelius (the national case management system for Probation) during the period of 1 April 2017 to 30 June 2017. This data is not limited to contact with Probation Officers and includes all categories of enforceable contacts, including Unpaid Work, Accredited Programmes and other interventions.  Thames Valley CRCLondon CRCAll MTC NovoAcceptable Absence2,62410,58413,208Unacceptable Absence1,40510,68012,085Attendance Not Recorded7761,7852,561Total Offenders managed4,13323,24827,381  Absences are categorised as Acceptable or Unacceptable. Acceptable absences include contacts that have been cancelled for administrative reasons (for example, 15 days of Unpaid Work, which is typical for a 100 hours order, originally booked to be worked on a Thursday but later changed to a Wednesday to reflect childcare arrangements for an offender would count as 15 Acceptable Absences), as well as circumstances where an offender has provided good reasons for their failure to attend (for example, a letter from a GP to prove ill health). Our policy is clear that offenders who fail to comply more than once with their order (without an acceptable explanation), should be subject to breach proceedings. We enforce this requirement robustly with all providers of Probation services.

Alternatives to Prison

lord laming: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that the courts have robust and reliable non-custodial sentences available to them.

lord keen of elie: The sentencing framework already gives courts the flexibility to select community order requirements which are a robust alternative to custody, and are tailored to address the specific issues that contribute to reoffending. We are committed to ensuring that community penalties are tough, effective and command the confidence of sentencers, and are continuing to explore further improvements that could be made to probation services.

Marriage: Muslims

lord lester of herne hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to ask the Law Commission to examine how to improve the protection of British Muslim women in marriage law.

lord keen of elie: Muslims are free to enter into a legally valid marriage in their place of worship under the same provisions that apply to most other religious groups. The Government recognises that there are complex reasons that some do not, including conscious choice. We are considering the issues, but we have not seen evidence that changing the law would necessarily address the concern.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what comparative assessment they have made of the infantry fighting value of (1) line regiments, (2) the Parachute Regiment, (3) the Royal Marines, and (4) RAF regiments, to overall UK military capacity.

earl howe: Army infantry Regiments, the Parachute Regiment, the Royal Marines and the RAF Regiment all have distinct and discrete roles in the defence and security of the United Kingdom and are trained and equipped accordingly. There is no sensible or objective basis for a comparative assessment of their value and so no such exercise has been attempted.

Littoral Warfare

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have recently re-assessed the global strategic environment; and if not, whether the national requirement for amphibious capability will remain as predicated in the 1998, 2010 and 2015 strategic defence reviews.

earl howe: We keep developments in the global strategic environment under constant review. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is playing a full role in the Government's National Security Capability Review, which will help to ensure that the UK's investment in national security capabilities is as joined-up, effective and efficient as possible.As part of this review, we have undertaken to look again at the full range of capabilities available to the MOD, to ensure that we continue to have the right capabilities in the right places to address current national security challenges.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Packaging: Waste

lord hayward: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they have taken in the last six months to encourage best practice in terms of limiting packaging waste by major retailers; and what action they are planning to take in the next six months.

lord hayward: To ask Her Majesty's Government what meetings they have held in the last six months with major retailers to encourage best practice in terms of limiting packaging waste; what responses they received; and whatfurther meetings are planned for the next six months.

lord gardiner of kimble: Our priority is to prevent or reduce waste in the first place – keeping packaging produced to the minimum of protecting the product and communicating with the consumer. Our Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations require businesses to ensure that all their packaging does not exceed what is needed to make sure that the products are safe, hygienic and acceptable for both the packed product and for the consumer. These Regulations apply to those responsible for the packing or filling of products into packaging and those importing packed or filled packaging into the UK from elsewhere. In September 2016, the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and an industry advisory group published a framework for greater consistency encouraging councils to recycle a common set of materials, as well as setting out actions to rationalise packaging, particularly plastics, into items that can be collected for recycling while supporting innovation in packaging design. Officials regularly meet with businesses and retailers to discuss a range of issues related to the recyclability of packaging. There will also be further opportunities for dialogue between officials and industry to inform the development of the new Resources and Waste Strategy.

Packaging: Waste

lord hayward: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken, and are planning to take, to discourage the use of packaging to promote multi-purchase discounts, and to encourage greater use of IT solutions as an alternative.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government has not taken any direct steps to encourage greater use of IT solutions as an alternative to packaging promotions. Buy-one-get-one-free deals represent a small proportion of supermarket promotions, and increasingly retailers are moving to more ‘everyday low pricing’ models or temporary price reductions. The Government has worked through the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to encourage retailers to provide alternative promotions for perishable food. If volume-based promotions are used (e.g. ‘3 for the price of 2’), then retailers should provide advice on how to store or freeze these foods to ensure that they are used and not wasted. This approach enables consumers to make savings but still buy the amounts or range of food that is right for them.

Department for Communities and Local Government

European Regional Development Fund

lord taylor of goss moor: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatwas the value of European Regional Development Fund support payments per capita in real terms in (1) Cornwall, (2) Devon, and (3) England, in each year since 2010.

lord taylor of goss moor: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the value of EU infrastructure support payments per capita in real terms in (1) Cornwall, (2) Devon, and (3) England, in each year since 2010.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 2014–20 Programme in England, the funding available has been allocated to Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) areas and it is then for these partners to inform central Government when and where investments in their respective areas take place. The ERDF is the main source of EU funding used to support infrastructure in localities. This is complemented by the European Social Fund (ESF) which is also allocated to LEP areas in England and supports employment, skills and social inclusion.The level of EU Structural Funds (the combination of the ERDF and the ESF) that has been allocated to each LEP area, including Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Heart of the South West and England can be found (attached) here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-structural-funds-uk-allocations-2014-to-2020.The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP area allocation is significantly greater than that of the Heart of the South West. This is because the EU categorises Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly as ‘a Less Developed Region’ whereas it categorises Heart of the South West as ‘a More Developed Region’. These categories are assigned according to the per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of each of these areas.Details of population by LEP area from 2010 onwards using the Nomis Database which can be found here: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/lep/contents.aspxDetails of projects that have been funded are available (attached) on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/european-structural-and-investment-funds-useful-resourcesThe government has committed to develop the UK Shared Prosperity Fund as a successor to EU structural fund programmes. This new Fund affords a fresh opportunity to spend money according to our own priorities, improve productivity and reduce economic inequality across the country. 



ERDF
(PDF Document, 537.01 KB)




EU Structural Fund
(PDF Document, 242.6 KB)

Local Government: Borrowing

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether local authorities are free to borrow against the security of their capital assets, for example for new housing; if so, whethersuch borrowingis treated as increasing the national debt; and if so, why.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Under the prudential system, local authorities in England are free to borrow without government consent, providing that their borrowing is affordable. When calculating an affordable level of borrowing, local authorities are required by statute to have regard to the Prudential Code issued by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. Borrowing in the Housing Revenue Account can be used to fund the delivery of new social housing. This borrowing is capped, but there remains unused borrowing headroom of £3.5 billion (up from £2.9bn in 2012).The measure used in the Government fiscal mandate to measure the national debt is Public Sector Net Debt excluding public sector banks (PSND). This covers all institutions classified to the public sector by the Office for National Statistics apart from RBS and is produced on a consolidated basis. As part of the public sector, local authorities borrowing will therefore increase PSND.

Local Government: Devolution

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many devolution deals are under discussion between local authorities and HM Government at the present time.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: We are working with the six city region mayors to understand the areas where they wish to undertake further work with Government. In addition, we are engaging with other areas around the country in order to understand where there is a strong case for devolution.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Brexit: Wales

lord elystan-morgan: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer byBaroness Goldie on 17 October (HL Deb, col 511) on the update on the Brexit negotiations, whether they keep a record of informal meetings with Welsh Ministers; whether such meetings have agendas; whether minutes are prepared and formally kept; and if not, whether they plan to keep such records.

lord callanan: The Government has been engaging with the devolved administrations throughout the negotiation process. At formal meetings where Government business is discussed, officials attend and minutes are prepared in line with usual practice. A list of ministerial meetings is published with each quarterly transparency return. We are committed to positive and productive engagement with the devolved administrations going forward as we seek a deal that works for the entire United Kingdom.

EU Nationals

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the proposed agreement on EU citizens living in the UK will provide certainty about residence and benefits; and if so, how; and whether there will be a qualifying period for payments into the social security system; and if so, how long that period will be.

lord callanan: We are within touching distance of reaching political agreement on the citizens' rights aspects of the Withdrawal Agreement, including on residence status and social security. The UK Government's position is that to provide certainty on residence, all EU citizens lawfully residing within the UK with five years residence at a specified date, which is no earlier than the trigger of Article 50, and no later than the UK’s exit from the EU, will be able to apply for settled status. Those EU citizens with less than five years lawful residence who arrive before the specified date will be given time to stay until they have the five years of residency necessary to obtain UK settled status.For EU citizens in the UK with rights protected under the Withdrawal Agreement, those on the pathway to settled status will continue to be able to access the same benefits that they can access now (broadly, equal access for workers/the self-employed and limited access for those not working). Once they are granted settled status, EU citizens will have access to benefits on the same basis as comparable UK nationals. Following the UK's withdrawal from the EU, access to benefits for those EU citizens protected by the Withdrawal Agreement will mirror any future changes potentially made to UK nationals’ entitlement. This means that an EU citizen protected by the Withdrawal Agreement will be no better or worse off than a UK national and will continue to enjoy equivalent access to benefits.

Brexit

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have taken legal advice on whether they can revoke or pause the Article 50 two year timetable.

lord callanan: It has been the practice of successive Governments not to comment on legal advice that may or may not have been received. A clear majority of the electorate voted to leave the EU and we will respect the will of the British people. As a matter of firm policy, our notification will not be withdrawn, for the simple reason that people voted to leave. And we are determined to see through that instruction.

Brexit

lord smith of finsbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 23 October (HL2086) concerning constitutional advice on the possible revocation of the Article 50 notice, whether they will now answer the question asked.

lord callanan: It has been the practice of successive Governments not to comment on legal advice that may or may not have been received. A clear majority of the electorate voted to leave the EU and we will respect the will of the British people. As a matter of firm policy, our notification will not be withdrawn, for the simple reason that people voted to leave. And we are determined to see through that instruction.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Gambling

lord porter of spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey havemade of the prevalence of problem gambling among vulnerable groups, including (1) those with mental health issues, (2)those withsubstance abuse addictions,and (3)the homeless.

lord ashton of hyde: The Gambling Commission tracks the prevalence of problem gambling rates through its quarterly survey as well as the NHS Health Surveys. The Gambling Commission surveys can be found at:http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/news-action-and-statistics/Statistics-and-research/Levels-of-participation-and-problem-gambling/Gambling-participation-and-problem-gambling.aspxThe 2015 NHS Health Survey can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/health-survey-for-england-health-survey-for-england-2015Both reports are attached to this question.The NHS Health Surveys capture information on problem gambling and co-morbidities such as alcohol consumption, smoking and drug use, as well as physical and mental health conditions. However, due to the relatively small numbers of problem gamblers captured in surveys, demonstrating statistically significant correlations to other health and social issues is difficult. The Responsible Gambling Strategy Board (RGSB) and GambleAware are leading work to measure gambling-related harm more effectively. This will involve exploring existing data, including around correlations with health and social issues, in more detail. In addition, GambleAware commissioned research by IPPR into the cost of public services provided to problem gamblers, including on health and housing costs which reported in December 2016. The attached report can be found at:https://www.ippr.org/research/publications/cards-on-the-table



Gambling participation: activities  
(Excel SpreadSheet, 736.02 KB)




2015 Health Survey summary 
(PDF Document, 1.68 MB)




IPPR Problem Gamblers 
(PDF Document, 969.66 KB)

Internet: Safety

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the Government's Internet Safety Strategy Green Paper, published on 11 October, addresses the issue of the anonymity of internet users.

lord ashton of hyde: The Internet Safety Strategy recognises that the Internet can facilitate abuse and harassment, and enables individuals to attack people anonymously and those they have never met. As part of the Strategy consultation, we are gathering information on users' experience of online abuse.We are also consulting on the introduction of a code of practice, as laid out in the Digital Economy Act 2017. The Act requires that the code addresses conduct that involves bullying or insulting an individual online, or other behaviour likely to intimidate or humiliate the individual. Our online survey consultation specifically asks whether the code of practice should include steps to tackle those who use anonymous social media accounts to abuse others.We will use the information gathered during our consultation to inform future policy development.